Searching for My Master
by DarkHorse26
Summary: There was nothing Guile wanted more than reuniting with Janus, his master and his childhood friend. Now, stranded at Termina without much money, he had to find a way to go to Zenan and continue his search for Janus.
1. Prologue

**I decide to challenge myself to write this fanfic to explore a speculation.**

**This fanfic uses the speculation 'Guile is Alfador', and is told on Guile's POV (except the prologue). CT DS Dream Devourer ending is considered canon here. This takes place after CC.**

**I interpret Guile's character as an aloof, but loyal person, which is the closest to Alfador himself. Also, I decide to interpret that Schala and Kid return to the Dark Age after the good ending of Chrono Cross.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger.**

**Another note: I have separated the prologue from chapter 1 and turned it into an individual chapter. So the newest chapter is chapter 4 in the FFnet chapter navigation, not chapter 3 (which now contains chapter 2 of the story).**

000

**Prologue**

The tavern's wooden door slowly opened.

A dashing man walked in with his hands in the pockets of his white trousers; his waist-length lavender braid swayed as he moved. He was tall; if he had been a little taller, he would have bumped his head against the upper frame of the door. He had left his white duster – the only piece of clothing he was wearing on his torso – unbuttoned down to his flat yet well-built abdomen, exposing his broad and toned chest.

Silently, he sauntered up to the pub's counter, oblivious to the stench of beer and the sounds of clinking glasses and screeching chairs in the bar. His face, which had a golden domino mask covering the upper half of it, remained stern as he walked.


	2. Strapped for Cash

**Chapter 1: Strapped for Cash**

One would consider hanging out in a bar was a daily routine for me. Sure, I was always in this bustling beehive for a drink or sometimes, a meal.

That was if you barely knew me. Drinking was just part of my attempt to earn money.

One might be thinking that drinking wasted some gold coins. Yes, but that would make me look like just a regular guest. I could secretly listen to one's conversation this way. Sometimes I might come across something interesting, which would lead to an adventure or some earnings. I was looking for the latter right now.

But why did I need money? I needed them to travel to Zenan, so that I could find Master Janus, the closest friend I had in my childhood. I was hoping to reunite with him and present him good news about his sister.

Today, one could say my eavesdropping job as something fruitful. A discussion in the bar caught my interest. I would never join the talk because I was afraid that people would find out what I had in my mind, but this would never stop me from being an eavesdropper.

Leaning against the brick wall of the bar, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. People would see me as a dozing figure right now, but this was what I wanted.

"Hey, you hear? The Radical Dreamers are getting more aggressive recently."

"That fierce band of raiders? Oh my!"

"Maybe they won't attack the poor anyway."

"Yeah, their first prey may be the rich man who lives near the smithy here."

"But we'd better be careful too. Who knows that they'll attack indiscriminately? Rich or poor, as long as there's gold, it's fine for them."

"I'm afraid that they live that way."

"Rumor says that they are hiding around the forest nearby. Maybe they're just waiting for the right time to strike."

I was now hoping that people would someday nail a wanted poster of these rogues in the bar. I was wondering how much bounty they would offer… Perhaps one thousand gold coins for each raider I caught? Just catching one would be enough to fund my travel then. And I might even have the chance to buy an executive class seat for myself!

Oh, nope. I did not like wanted posters. They would only attract rivals and make everything more complicated.

Now I was thinking if I could offer the said rich man my service at a reasonable price. I would not overcharge him, but most importantly, the payment had to be enough for me to buy a ferry ticket to Medina.

I opened my eyes and turned. Slowly and silently, I walked towards the exit door and went out of the bar.

Outside, sunlight greeted me with a blinding flash into my eyes. It dazzled me temporarily, turning everything on my sight into nothing but flickering objects. Well, it was just too abrupt to walk from a darker place to an extremely bright area.

As soon as I regained my vision, I turned left and walked ahead with my hands in the pockets of my trousers, oblivious to the people who were wandering around with bulky plastic bags in their hands.

Strolling along the street in the afternoon was no fun. Believe me; I had drenched myself in my own sweat just by walking. My white duster – the only upper garment I wore – was now sticking to my skin thanks to my wet body. At some point I considered taking off my coat, but I was going to have a talk with a rich man. What would be his first impression when he saw me approaching him in case I forgot to wear my shirt back? He might lose faith on me, right?

But I had to admit that sunlight was far better than rainy weather. It was awful to have myself washed down by a downpour. If I only ended up with momentary discomfort because of the water, I should consider myself lucky.

Spending three minutes of walking straightforward and enduring the heat of the sun, I finally found myself on a stone bridge with a Y junction. It was not as crowded as the shopping district. I could only see a man here; a hawker standing on the path to my left side with a few stacks of flattened dough atop his cart.

Quickly, I took the path to my left side and walked past the hawker. I tried to be fast, but unfortunately, the fragrance of butter and bouillon teased my nose. I ended up stopping dead in my tracks and sniffing the air just to savor the delicate scent.

Oh, great. Now my stomach was growling as well. I might soon spend fifty gold coins to satisfy my hunger, despite being cash-strapped.

Cash-strapped, yes. I was fortunate enough to remember that. I probably had only about thirty gold coins with me. How could I buy something that cost fifty? Besides, I had to save money for a ferry ticket.

With that in mind, I ignored the tempting aroma and walked on.

A minute of walking had brought me to a solid land with a straightforward asphalt path. To my left side, a wooden hut stood beside a stone building with a huge red plank above its entrance door. A huge, yet slim word 'Smithy' was there, written in white paint to make it clear for passerby that it was a blacksmith's workshop.

Blacksmith… Hmm, buying a new rod should be good if I wished to be a reliable bodyguard to this rich man…

No, I had to remember that I was strapped for cash. I only had my clothes, my golden domino mask, my trusty bronze rod, and a small sack of gold in my possession, nothing else. Home? I had none. I would rather sleep somewhere around the outskirts of Termina instead of staying in the inn, unless it rained. I was thrifty, was I not? Well, I was just trying to save some money for my journey.

I carried on walking, ignoring the blacksmith and the hut.

Another minute of strolling had brought me to my goal. A towering mansion loomed before me, providing me a shelter from the sunlight with its shadow.

Slowly, I walked towards the mahogany double door and knocked its flat side lightly.

With a click and a creak, the door opened inwards.

A brown-haired lady in a red dress and a white apron stood at the entrance of the mansion. She greeted me with a bow – just as expected from a classy person. "Good afternoon, sir. Who are you, and what kind of business do you have here?"

"I am Guile the magician. I wish to see the owner of this mansion because I have grave news."

"Grave news?"

"It is about a fierce band of raiders called 'Radical Dreamers'."

The lady leant back in shock with her eyes widened. "They're here?"

"Not exactly here, but they are lurking within the forest nearby."

"I see. So, those rumors are true," the lady muttered. "Thank you for the information. But why do you wish to see Master Gogh?"

"I am willing to offer my service as a bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?" The lady blinked. "Perhaps you can speak to Master Gogh about it." She turned around. "Come in."

I followed the lady into the building, and gently shut the door as I had landed a step on the mansion's floor.

The environment inside – the hall – was a mesmerizing sight to behold. A sparkling golden chandelier was hanging on the ceiling above me. The marble tiles I trod were very clean to the point I could see the reflection of myself on them. Further on my right side, a set of glistening steel armor stood with a halberd in its grip. In front of me, beside a marmoreal winding staircase, a large painting of a meadow rested on the wall.

The owner of this house, Master Gogh, should be very rich! I had a feeling – which should be 100% sure – that this mansion would be the Radical Dreamers' first prey.

"Sir."

That lady's calling snapped me out of my thoughts. I returned my attention to her, who was standing in front of me. "Yes?"

"Follow me. Master Gogh is inside the meeting room."

The lady turned left, leading me to a mahogany door. I waited behind while she knocked on it.

All of a sudden, a gruff voice came from behind the door. "Come in."

The lady turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She walked into the room, and I followed her from behind.

Now, this place was just as impressive as the hall, although it was not as large. A large fur carpet was on the floor, covering almost the entirety of the chamber. In the middle of the room, three leather sofas were surrounding a granite oval table with a golden candleholder on top of it.

In front of the lady who had been leading me from earlier, a short, plump blue-haired man was standing with a glass of champagne in his hand.

This was Master Gogh? His overweight build surprised me!

No, I should be more careful in observing someone. He was wearing a leather beret and a fur mantle. But that was not all. I noticed that he had a sparkling diamond ring on his right fourth finger. His wealth was no joke.

He walked past the lady and stopped in front of me. "Who are you?"

Before I could speak, the lady chimed in, "Master, this man's name is Guile. He told me about the Radical Dreamers. The rumors about them lurking around El Nido are true."

"Hmm…" Master Gogh looked into my eyes. "So, why are you here?"

"I wish to be your bodyguard."

"Bodyguard, huh?" He sighed, wagging a limp hand. "You don't look like a competent fighter. I don't think you can even swing a sword."

Honestly, I did not like his disdainful remark. But I had better swallow it up; otherwise I would lose my chance to earn money.

"Master, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," I said calmly in a convincing tone. "I am a magician. I can fend off enemies with my magic."

"Magic?" Master Gogh took a sip of his champagne. Suddenly, he heaved again. "Magic takes some time to cast, while those rogues are fast. They'll get you before you can do a thing."

His statement began grating my nerves. Yes, magic was not too efficient in terms of speed, but it was devastating. Nobody would like to know how lightning bolts and fireballs tasted like.

"And magicians are always squishy," Master Gogh continued, shaking his head. "They're useless in close combat because they're physically weak. You're a magician, right? Then you're just the same."

At this, rage enveloped my mind; I clenched my hands into fists and grunted. Who the hell did he think I was?

The desire of breaking his nose with a fist tempted me; however, I still had to bear in mind that I was in this only for the money. If I did not show a good attitude to him, I might not earn anything.

Master Gogh suddenly began, "But something is better than nothing."

His remark delighted me.

"I want you to prove that you're worthy to be my bodyguard. Bring one of the Radical Dreamers to me, dead or alive," he continued. "I give you twenty-four hours to do this…from now!"

I nodded. "I shall do it."

"Good. You'd better not be late," he added. "If you can show the proof that you can take out a thief, I'll consider hiring you as my bodyguard. We can talk about the payment later." He looked at the lady beside me. "Lead this man out."

The lady nodded and walked past me. "Follow me, sir."

I did what she told me to do. I followed her out of the meeting room and into the hall.

As I was walking towards the mahogany double door on my right side, a gentle voice of a woman stopped me in my tracks.

It was that lady, who was bowing.

"I'm sorry that Master Gogh is being harsh on you, sir."

Well, to be honest, this lady was more respectable than that haughty Master Gogh. I felt sorry for her though; having to be a servant to this arrogant man.

However, I had better not speak anything about Master Gogh; else my chance of earning some money from him would be nil.

With a smile, I told the lady, "It's nothing at all, miss."

With that, I pulled the mahogany door open and walked out of the mansion.

I had a mission to accomplish.


	3. The Hunt

**Chapter 2: The Hunt**

It was now windier outside. The breeze was blowing against my body, sending my floppy coat sleeves and my waist-length lavender braid swaying wildly in the air.

Enjoying the cool, gentle wind, I walked along the straightforward concrete path.

As I strolled, I mused about what I should do to catch a member of the Radical Dreamers. They were thieves, and without a doubt, they should be speedy and stealthy. They might not have any knowledge in magic, so I could assume that they were all melee combatants.

However, I could not just conclude that all of them would fight in close combat. Weapons were diverse, and a band of thieves might just possess varied armaments. They probably had crossbows or guns with them.

And I had better slay them before they could pose more problems.

As I was about to walk past the blacksmith, I stopped and looked at the red plaque above the smithy's door. Purchasing a better rod would help me in my hunt.

Oh my, could I stop thinking about shopping? A brand new rod was unaffordable for me!

I turned away and continued walking along the asphalt road.

A minute of walking had brought me to the bridge where that hawker stood. But now, the scent was more tempting thanks to the breeze. The wind was already chilling, while at the same time, it was blowing the aroma of butter and grilled meat into my nose!

I squinted and shook my head, chanting in my heart as I did. _Ignore the temptation. Ignore the temptation._

I walked ahead and past the hawker quickly, pretending as though the fragrance did not exist at all.

My attempt worked. I had reached the fork of the bridge without much hassle. I turned right and continued walking until I reached the shopping district of Termina.

The streets, in contrast to the bridge, were fairly crowded with cubic stone buildings surrounding the path. Many people were wandering around. Some of them had plastic bags with flowers in their hands, while a few were holding umbrellas.

Umbrellas? I quickly looked at the sky, hoping that it was not cloudy… Fortunately, I was right. Albeit the weather was quite windy right now with a few clumps of white clouds racing across the sky, there was no single trace of cumulonimbi. The sun too, was still a blinding sphere of light up there.

I chuckled at myself. Perhaps these people had been bringing along umbrellas with them from earlier; when the heat of the sun was comparable to the inside of a volcano. But I had to admit, now was not as hot as earlier. There was cool breeze blowing against my face.

I kept walking while looking around, but I soon stopped in front of a crossroad. To my right side, there was a small single-story building with a plaque above its wooden door. Something interesting was written there.

_"Lisa's Element Shop."_

Elements should help me in my hunt, especially the offensive ones. It was much cheaper than a new rod too.

I turned right and pushed the wooden door open.

The environment inside was quite odd for a shop. Nobody was there except a blonde lady, who was standing behind a stone counter. Crates filled with colorful orbs were resting there on the countertop. Sometimes I wondered how this store could still hold the fort without going bankrupt.

But I had to view this as a blessing. Shopping in a crowded shop would not be fun. Imagine having to jostle against a horde of people just to purchase an element. If I were to buy up the whole stock, I probably would not mind too much.

I walked towards the table and looked at the price tags stuck on the crates. I scanned through the labels fast, hoping to find something affordable; something that cost less than thirty gold coins.

A woman's voice suddenly asked, "Sir, may I help you?"

Shocked, I gasped softly. Raising my head, I found out that this blond lady was the one who had been calling me. She was smiling at me.

"Ah," I uttered, "I am looking for an offensive element that costs about thirty."

"About thirty?" the lady asked. "Sorry, but the cheapest attack element costs fifty."

Oh, crap.

But wait! I could try bargaining.

"Miss," I began and pointed a three at her, smiling slightly. "How about thirty?"

"I get no profit that way!"

"Thirty," I insisted, waving my hand.

"Nope."

"Thirty, no more than it," I said calmly.

The lady sighed. "Sir, instead of insisting on buying attack element, why don't you just buy a healing element? With ten gold coins, you can buy a Tablet. A better version is Capsule, which costs only twenty-five."

I shrugged and lowered my hand. "I need no healing. It's a waste of time and money."

"Sir, don't be silly!" the lady shouted. "I hardly ever find someone coming out of a battle unscathed!"

"A good rest will suffice for my recovery."

"What if you get crippling injuries during the fight? You can quickly consume a Tablet or Capsule to ease your pain and heal some of your wounds."

"Hmm…" I placed a finger on my chin.

Her suggestion gave me an idea. Consuming the element only after a fight would speed up my return to Termina. I needed that.

"All right. I shall buy a Capsule." I scanned through the crates from left to right, searching for the price tag with a '25' written on it.

10, 15… There it was, resting on a crateful of small yellow orbs!

I picked up one of the minute yellow spheres with my fingers, before tossing it into the pocket in my right sleeve. After that, I inserted a hand into a pocket on my trousers and pulled out a small leather pouch.

Handing the tiny sack to the lady, I said, "This should be enough."

The lady poured the gold coins out of the pouch and began counting.

Waiting for her was a waste of time and made me yawn. My eyelids were heavy, but I just had to wait anyway. I was hoping for the change. I could probably get five gold coins back, which were just enough for another round of drink at the bar. Or five gold coins less I should collect to pay my ferry ticket.

About two minutes later, the lady snapped me out of my drowsiness with her calling. "Thanks, sir!"

I opened my eyes and looked at the counter. Five stacks of gold coins were standing atop the table.

"No change?" I asked.

"Twenty-five, right? Just look at these stacks of gold coins!" the lady replied. She then pointed at the empty leather sack, which was just as flat as the countertop. "There's nothing left there too."

I smacked the domino mask on my face with a palm and hissed. I was more cash-strapped than I thought.

_Forget about it! I had something important to do! Master Gogh only gave me twenty-four hours to complete the task._

"Ah, never mind." I quickly turned around and waved a hand. "Farewell, young lady."

I walked out of the shop in a fast, yet relaxed manner. I had better not act too strangely.

Outside, I strolled ahead, heading to the massive stone wall with an iron arch further in front of me. The blue flags surrounding the metallic archway were fluttering gently by the wind, enjoying the cool breeze just like I did.

It only took a minute until I walked past the arch, which signified that I was no longer in the town. The environment had changed from a forest of concrete into empty plains. Noise was nearly non-existent, save for the howling wind and rustling leaves beneath my feet.

After about five minutes of non-stop sauntering, I stopped and looked back. Now, the massive stone wall surrounding the town was merely a small, yet long black beam. I had gone pretty far.

Quickly, I jumped up high while hunching slightly and bending my right leg. I continued my travel by gliding across the air this way. This was a faster way of wandering, though I never bothered flying when I was in the town. I might just look peculiar there.

Flying had another advantage for me. Up in the air, the wind was blowing stronger, which was more refreshing. Thanks to my domino mask too, my slim, spiked bangs were no obstacle to my eyes despite swaying wildly by the zephyr.

I spent about eight minutes of flying while scanning the area below like an eagle. And I found something interesting down there. There was a thick streak of dark green amidst the already verdant plains.

That should be a forest; my destination. I swooped in, but before my torso managed to hit the ground, I rose back to the air until my feet were properly positioned for landing.

Now, standing on two feet, I remained still. Yes, I was now in a forest. Surrounding me were clusters of tall trees. Beneath my boots, there were dry twigs and leaves on the moist ground. Also, as I observed the area, I could hear the wind whistling around the tree trunks, in addition to the chirping and squawking from birds.

Oh, birds! Although I was not extremely hungry, a few grilled nestlings would be nice. Their tender, succulent flesh would taste good in the mouth. Such meal should be filling and energizing!

Oh well, imagining such thing had made the edge of my lips wet with saliva.

I walked slowly while looking around for a few little birds to prey on. I scanned from a branch to another branch, but I could see no nest. How disappointing!

But this was not the time to give up. I immediately turned my attention to the sky. Unfortunately, the result was just as disappointing. I could find no birds!

Right now, I believed that these winged rascals were probably hiding somewhere in the forest. With this in mind, I continued walking at a moderate pace.

My boots shuffled through the dry twigs and leaves as I moved, producing a cacophony of creaking and rustling sounds. At this, I was pretty sure that I had broken a countless amount of branches here, but I did not mind. I just had to hunt down a tasty snack.

All of a sudden, I halted as I heard something that was not supposed to be in a forest; something that suppressed my desire to eat. There were people talking nearby. Albeit audible, the sound was unclear and soft, which meant that I was still far from them.

I leapt into the air and glided slowly, tracking down the voice. The noise grew louder in my ears gradually, which told me that I was getting closer to the source of the sound. Soon, I stopped when the chatter was comprehensible.

I hovered still in the air to listen to the talk while preventing myself from breaking any twigs beneath me.

A creaky voice began, "We need more money to continue our journey, guys! So, let's plan when we should raid the nearby town!"

Soon, a gruff voice replied, "How about tonight? I'll just smash everything with my hammer if needed!"

"I think we'd better wait until midnight, Ted," a baritone voice continued.

"Sometimes you're weird, Sieg," the creaky voice barked. "Attacking at midnight is for cowards! We're the Radical Dreamers, and we're infamous because of our ferocity!"

Hearing the term 'Radical Dreamers', I smirked. I was very close to my prey.

"I'm just suggesting the best way, Rai," the baritone voice replied. "You know, only three of us are the remaining Radical Dreamers. A direct assault is the last option we want to do."

There were only three people in this infamous band of thieves? Slaying all of them would not be too hard then.

I continued listening to the conversation.

"Then what? We're just trying to spread our notoriety across El Nido while robbing people for our funds!" Rai said.

"Really, Sieg. Kid will be proud of us if the Radical Dreamers are getting even more infamous," Ted added.

"Guys, our goal is to find Kid before getting into a large-scale raiding. We'd better focus on our money and health now."

Kid… Kid…

Nodding, I let out a soft and long 'oh' as I remembered something. Kid often mentioned about the Radical Dreamers when we were travelling together a while back. So she was one of them, and these raiders were looking for her…

I knew where Kid had gone. However, telling them the truth was probably the most foolish action I would take. Here was 1020 AD, while Kid had returned to 11980 BC. How could they find her? This would only anger them.

I had better continue my eavesdropping.

"They say there are many Acacia Dragoons around the town, and their stronghold isn't too far from there. If we aren't careful, they may capture and kill us."

I growled as I heard the term 'Acacia Dragoons'. I had forgotten to calculate those powerful warriors. Now, if Master Gogh thought of hiring them or such, I would end up saying farewell to the money I hoped to earn from him.

I had to think fast to prevent that from happening.

Stroking my chin, I thought of a few ideas. If I could kill at least one of them and bring the corpse to Master Gogh, there might still be hope.

With a flick of my right foot, I propelled myself high into the air, before landing on a stout branch of a huge tree. Standing still without making any noises, I looked down.

Yes, my targets were there, sitting in a circle and surrounding a pile of dry twigs on the clearing.

One was a short, slender man with messy maroon hair. He was wearing a brown leather suit with a pair of wooden sandals. On each of his sides, a small scabbard rested.

On his right side, there was a bald man who was about twice of his size with a thick brown mustache and a flabby belly. He was wearing nothing except rugged jeans with a pair of steel gauntlets and boots. Beside this chubby man, a huge iron hammer was lying on the ground.

On the other side of the maroon-haired man, there was a tall and athletic man. If there had not been his head and his shoulder-length ponytail, I would have thought he was a living pile of steel. His metallic armor was slick and shiny, glinting off the light from the sun. On his left side, a long sword rested inside a leather sheath, leaving only its silver hilt visible.

The three of them possessed a familiar similarity though. They all had two white lines painted on their cheeks, just like Kid.

The Radical Dreamers were different from my expectations; the group was diverse, although small in number. That shorty should be the weakest and probably the fastest of all. Meanwhile, that fatso should be very slow with destructive power. And that armored man should be in the middle, although his thick armor might slow him down.

Hmm, three on one might be a little troublesome, especially that they had better equipments than I did… No, I could first surprise them with a spell. That might have injured and weakened them before the battle began. And my job would be easier that way.

All of a sudden, the chubby man began, "Hey, you said something about focusing on our health? Then we gotta find something to eat!"

"It's still a long time before dinner, fatso!" the maroon-haired man replied.

"Rai, Ted's suggestion is good. We'd better go hunting. Sometimes hunting for food can take longer than you think," the blond man said.

Ted smiled. "If we don't eat, we'll get so hungry that we'll be weak when raiding!"

"I get it!" Rai grumbled, standing up. "Okay, if we're gonna hunt, who'll be watching this place? I don't wanna see uninvited guests occupying this good spot."

"I think we'd better leave it to Ted," the blonde man suggested, standing up as well.

"Yep, you can trust me, Sieg!"

Hearing that, I gave out an evil grin that a cat would let out upon seeing a crippled bird writhing helplessly in front of him. One on one should be a piece of cake, especially if my opponent was a brute.

Still standing on the thick branch of the tree, I watched Rai and Sieg walking away from Ted. I waited until I could no longer see those two guys.

About a minute later, I could only see Ted below. He was sitting still, motionless with his eyes closed and arms folded.

He was sleeping perhaps? If yes, great!

I inserted my right hand into my left sleeve, drawing out my brass rod afterwards. Then, I tossed it over my head. As it was falling, I placed a hand on the top of the staff and another hand under the handle, forcing it to shrink to the point it vanished.

"Wanda In!" I shouted, clapping my hands once before performing a pulling movement with an arm.

As I expected, a puff of purple smoke engulfed Ted as my rod suddenly materialized on his chest. The rod was transfixed on his body; its shaft and ends were visible on his front and backside.

I 'pulled' the air with a hand. As I did, my rod tore out of Ted's back and flew back to me, leaving a gaping wound behind.

Soon, my bloodstained rod arrived in front of me. I caught it with my right hand, before tossing it back into my left sleeve.

It was that simple!

Or not.

My attack did not seem to pose any danger to Ted. The huge guy immediately picked up his hammer with a hand and turned.

He spotted me!

"Looks like you want me to crush you." He grinned, spinning for a moment before throwing his gigantic hammer at me.

I leapt into the air, dodging the gavel entirely. Quickly, I glided towards Ted.

"You think I'm just throwing away my hammer? No way!" Ted waved his hand inwards.

He was taunting me or what? His speech did not seem to, but his gesture did!

If he were truly asking for a serious beating, then he would soon receive it. I clenched my hands into fists and flicked my feet, speeding up my flight.

However, I suddenly felt a spine-crushing blow on my back. It sent me crashing headfirst into the ground.

Panting as sharp pain shot from my backside, I suddenly remembered something. Ted's gesture – which I mistook as a taunt – was probably an act to call his hammer back. If not, how could he attack me from behind?

My feeling was right. I raised my head and looked at Ted, whose massive body was looming over me. His giant hammer was in his hands now.

He smirked. "You're pretty strong! People usually faint or die after getting hit by my hammer."

If he were impressed with me just because of this, then he would end up bowing down before me later. Such injury would only slow me down instead of posing a serious threat.

Supporting myself with both of my arms, I stood up. However, I was unable to move fast. My back hurt me with both stinging and dull pain.

Now, I was standing in a stooped position, panting and wincing as my back throbbed.

Ted's cackling laughter greeted me. "Haha, let's see if you can take more of my hammer!" He raised his gigantic hammer, bringing the hammerhead resting further behind his bald head.

I quickly took out my brass rod, preparing myself for the incoming strike. Parrying a blow from a hammer which was as big as me was an insane action to take, but I had no choice. My injured back was sure to hinder me if I tried to dodge the attack.

Ted roared, bringing his hammer coming down upon me.

I performed a backhand swing with my staff to deflect the blow.

CRASH!

I winced as my back and hand hurt thanks to the vibration generated from the collision of our weapons.

At the same time, Ted was jerking away with his hammer while grunting.

It appeared to be a success for me, was it not?

NOT! What was in my hand now was a short brass stick with a spiky edge. Did you know what it meant?

My rod had broken.


	4. Adrenaline Rush

**Chapter 3: Adrenaline Rush**

Ted raised his hammer again, ready to crush me with it.

Without further thinking, I roared and leapt into the air. My back let out an audible snap as I jumped, but there was something more important than my injury. I had to finish this fight as fast as possible.

Practically falling down, I stared into Ted's eyes before driving the pointed end of my broken staff into one of them.

Ted let out a loud roar as crimson liquid gushed out from his left eye and trickled down his cheek. He was now panic, which was probably his reaction towards blood and pain.

"Get off me!" he called out, tottering wildly whilst squinting.

But he failed to drive me back. As he moved around vigorously, I was just swaying slightly whilst gripping the brass stake.

Quickly, I pulled out the stick and remained airborne. I raised my bloodstained broken rod, ready to impale him through his skull. If I were successful, then everything should be over.

As I thrust the brass cane, a steel-clad arm met my chest, sending me smashing into a tree. I screamed in pain as my backside hit the tree trunk. Now, I could only sit still. It hurt even to stand up.

Wincing, I could see Ted rushing towards me with his hammer. Surprisingly, he was fast despite being a fatso.

"Sieg always tells us not to kill if possible, but you're too dangerous if you're alive!" Ted roared, stopping abruptly in front of me before raising his hammer.

I immediately threw my broken rod at him, hoping that the pointy end would stab and kill him.

Yes, the brass stake was now transfixed on his flabby belly.

But Ted was unfazed. Letting out an ear-splitting battle cry, he brought his hammer coming down on me.

Was it the end?

Nope. I raised my hands and caught the huge metallic hammerhead in my grip. It was just a few inches above my head, which seemed to be much smaller when compared to the incoming lump of iron.

"How the hell can you do that?" Ted asked, struggling to press the hammer down on my head. "Impossible!"

I did not answer him. It was unnecessary for him to know that putting logic aside to make the impossible possible was something common for me.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to push the hammerhead back with my hands. The muscles on my arms were burning and aching, but this was the only thing I could to if I wished not to have my skull smashed.

There was a moment of struggle. There were times I managed to push the hammerhead back, but most of the time, Ted nearly landed his hammer on my head.

But soon, Ted pulled back his gigantic gavel.

At this, I lowered my arms and panted. My arms were aching, while my back kept stinging me with sharp pain.

"You're so stubborn," Ted growled, raising his left leg as he brought his hammer resting behind his back. "I'm gonna crush you to bits!"

Looking at his stance, it appeared that he would be swinging his gavel this time. If he did, it would be very hard to capture the hammerhead with bare hands. It was not only the size that bothered me, but it was also because the force might hurt my back as I caught the weapon.

Now, there was only one last option: casting a spell. It was slow, but something was better than nothing.

I remained silent as I emptied my mind from the heat of the battle. Focusing on my heartbeat and breathing, I could feel that my surrounding was growing cold. Now, in this relaxed state, I channeled shadow energy to my right hand.

"Be gone!" Ted roared, swinging his hammer.

I swung my hand, tossing a sphere of writhing darkness towards him.

Just like I thought; magic was slower than physical attack. Before having the shadow orb engulfing his head, Ted had managed to crush my chest with his hammer.

For a moment, my mouth tasted like metal as I coughed out blood.

At the same time, I felt as if there were needles stabbing my lungs. Every time I breathe, that sensation hurt me. The deeper I inhaled, the more painful I felt.

The difficulty in breathing also led to another consequence. Lacking of oxygen in my head, my vision became blurry. I was just a few steps away from blacking out.

But I would not give up. Now, from what I saw, I had a good chance to finish Ted off. He had dropped his hammer, so that he could smack the black orb repeatedly with both of his big hands.

Clenching my right hand, I kept quiet and closed my eyes. With my vision all black, calmness enveloped my mind as I readied myself to channel lightning energy to my arm.

As crackling sounds came from my right side, I opened my eyes and stared at Ted, preparing for a kill. This should be easy, because the shadow orb had not left that fatso's head. It forced him to stand still whilst growling and smacking his shadow-wrapped face with his hands.

"You're dead," I said, thrusting my right arm. A purple bolt of lightning leapt from my forearm and hurtled towards Ted.

It was only a matter of seconds until the thunderbolt hit him on his stomach and sent electric currents spreading to his entire body. I could hear his muffled scream for a short while as the small arcs of lightning burnt his skin and left charred lines behind.

Soon, it was over. His massive body slumped as the electric currents were fading along with the black orb on his head.

As his stomach hit the ground with a thud, I looked at his motionless body. His face – which was pale with the eyes wide open and the mouth ajar – signified that he had died an uncomfortable death. My lightning bolt might have hurt him too much, in addition to my shadow sphere suffocating him.

Well, I had no reason to show any sympathy or such. Now was the time to approach Master Gogh with the proof that I was worthy of becoming his bodyguard. Hopefully, he would hire me, so that I could soon afford a ferry ticket to Medina.

I placed my palms on the ground, supporting myself to stand up…but I failed. As I stretched my body, my back let out a loud crack and shocked me with sharp pain.

I fell back in the moment of shock. Sitting still, I had to figure out how to get out of this fast. What for if I could not return to Termina after killing my prey?

Termina… Ah, I remembered something. I had bought a Capsule element and kept it in my sleeve. It should be able to ease my pain.

I inserted my right hand into my left sleeve, before taking a small yellow orb out of it. Gripping it firmly, I crushed it, which resulted in tawny threads of smoke coming out of my fist. After swirling around me for a moment, they entered my body from the front and back side.

As they did, I felt warmth on my whole body. It was as if I had applied some heating pads on my torso. The burning, yet soothing feeling trumped the sharp pain.

Soon, the sensation vanished, and I could confirm that the Capsule element had done well in healing me. Supporting myself with both of my arms, I managed to get up without any backache. In addition, I could breathe deeper without suffering a chest pain.

However, it appeared to have a side effect. I felt that I was not in the mood of working. My body only desired to lie on a comfy bed.

No, I should not think about that. My goal of hunting down the Radical Dreamers was so that I could earn money from Master Gogh and afford a ferry ticket to Medina. Besides, I had to be fast if I wished to be his bodyguard.

I hunched and grabbed Ted's steel-clad arm with both of my hands before turning around. Gnashing my teeth forcefully, I struggled to lift him up, but he barely budged. He was too heavy.

Unfortunately, this also meant that I could not fly back to Termina. It was impossible to fly with something heavy weighing me down.

Impossible? Nah, I never liked that term. I hadn't even tried carrying Ted with the best of my ability.

Holding Ted's arm, I jumped into the air and bent my right leg. I flicked my feet in an attempt to fly higher, but I felt like something was keeping me back.

I had to try harder if I wished to go beyond the impossible!

I roared and flicked my feet even faster. With a tremendous amount of force, I pulled Ted's arm as if I were to tear it off from his body.

As silly as it sounded, it worked. Ted's weight was still holding me back, but I had managed to fly higher.

Everything should be fine by now.

"Just like I thought; I knew that there was a stalker around when we were talking, but that stupid Sieg just didn't listen to me."

That creaky voice sounded familiar! Could it be-

All of a sudden, a foot landed on my masked face. The blow didn't hurt, but I lost my grip on Ted's arm because of it.

I made a quick descent to the earth. Landing steadily with both of feet, I looked around only to find another human around.

It was not an ordinary person; indeed, it was another guy from the Radical Dreamers. Maroon hair. A scabbard on each side. Gangly appearance. This guy was no other than Rai, the red-headed thief I came to know from the eavesdropping earlier.

"You're coming for our heads? I'm gonna take yours instead! And your money too!"

What a boast!

Without answering, I punched him directly on his face.

That was what I considered as a good reply to his drivel.

"Bah, I haven't started yet," Rai murmured, placing his hands on the hilts of his daggers.

It was only a matter of a second when he suddenly vanished.

I glanced around frantically to find him, but to no avail.

But soon, I sensed the stench of rusted iron as I felt something wet streaming down my chest. Looking down, I found that my blood had stained my white coat red.

Rai was so fast that I didn't see him carving a bloody X on my torso!

WHOOOOSH!

Time was valuable indeed. Spending just a moment focusing on my injury had led me to an unpleasant consequence. Now, I felt that my legs were too weak to support my posture. It seemed that Rai had sliced the muscles on my lower limbs.

The pain had triggered an adrenaline rush within my body. My heart was beating faster. Beads of sweat were trickling down my neck. I was feeling breathless right now, but somehow I felt more powerful and less painful.

"Yeah, now for the finisher, I'm gonna plunge my knife into your heart! You can't dodge it with those injuries on your legs!"

Into my heart? Unable to dodge?

That sparked me an idea.

"Ta-daa!" Rai suddenly appeared in front of me and pulled back his right hand.

The knife came, and as expected, he was aiming for the left side of my body. I raised my left arm, and let the dirk pierce through the back of my hand.

I winced momentarily from the pain, but now, I had an advantage.

I delivered a chop into Rai's right wrist, which prompted him to release his dagger from his grip.

"Trust me; your end is nigh," I said calmly, pulling out the knife out of my palm with my other hand. It hurt like hell for a moment, but I could neglect the pain with the thought of how close victory was to me.

"What an idiot!" Rai spat out. "Pulling out a knife like that? I bet ya wanna bleed to death or lose a hand!"

Oh, shut up!

Or was this a chance?

Yes, there was nothing wrong with attacking while the foe was blathering unaware. It was the opponent's fault for wasting his time, like what happened to me earlier.

I immediately drove the jagged end of the knife into the left side of Rai's chest. Blood gushed out as the dagger bore a hole on his body.

In a flash, I pulled the knife out.

Rai was still standing before me, but it was not long until his limp body slumped to the ground and remained motionless.

He was dead.

The fight had ended, and so had my adrenaline rush. My injured and trembling legs were unable to support my body anymore. My vision too, was rather shaky now.

And so I collapsed.

Yet I refused to lose my consciousness. Succumbing to my injuries before completing something important was silly; how troublesome could bleeding wounds be for a mage? I knew no healing spells, but I could just burn them all shut.

Using my right hand and my left elbow as a support, I got up to take off all my clothing to the point I was only on my boxers.

This way, I could begin cauterizing my injuries.

Sitting on the floor, I held the bloody dagger I used to dispatch Rai over my injured palm. I bent my fingers upwards and remained silent.

It only took a few seconds of concentrating until my fingertips let out small jets of flame. They remained still over my fingers, heating the knife's blade until it was red and smoldering.

After that, I flicked my left hand. I put out the fire that way, but I had just realized that this was a silly thing to do. Such movement did not only hurt my hand, but it also caused the wound on it to bleed more.

Hmph, that was easily forgettable. I had better seal all the wounds fast, so that I could stop the bleeding and continue thinking how I could return to Termina.

Wound cauterization was not something enjoyable. As I touched the gash on my left palm with the flat side of the smoldering blade, the pain shocked me. I dropped the knife and hissed as a result.

_Damn, just endure the pain, could you? If you gave up this fast, you'd never be able to find Master Janus!_

I growled and picked up the dagger with my good hand. Immediately, I brought the flat side of the blade touching the edge gaping wound on my palm. With an eye screwed shut and teeth gritted, I moved the knife from one side to another side slowly.

I did that on all the injuries I could find on my body. For sure, I knew that I did scream once in a while and nearly blacked out a few times as I sealed my wounds shut this way.

But there was no other way to prevent myself from losing more blood right now.

Soon, the 'torment' was over. Thick black crusts were now visible on my wounds instead of gaping gashes. They still sent pain off across my body, but everything should be fine for now.

Standing up, I picked up my bloodstained clothes. I had better wash them, as wearing such dirty attire would not give a good image to a rich man like Master Gogh.

Hmm, I couldn't leave the corpses of my prey here either. This was a forest, and of course, scavengers existed. They might eat these bodies while I was away. I had to bring them along with me as I searched for a river…

Nope. I didn't think I need these bodies. I could make money by selling their weapons. Rai's daggers should worth some money, while Ted's giant hammer should be expensive as it was something unique.

Sounded like it was a sudden change of heart, wasn't it? After all, I just wanted the money from this, nothing else. Besides, I didn't really like Master Gogh.

I hunched and grabbed all the weapons I could find: a pair of daggers and a giant hammer. With them and my clothes in my hand, I leapt into the air and flew away. Yes, I still had to wash everything, because I was going to see a smithy _in a town_. Wouldn't it make a better impression to the blacksmith if I wore something clean?

It took about fifteen minutes until I found a river. It was neither because of my injuries nor the weight of Ted's giant hammer; instead, I was slow because I didn't know where the river was. I had to pace around while focusing on the surrounding with heightened senses. That was a fruitful attempt anyway; I managed to catch the roar of water current in my ears, which was an obvious clue that a stream was nearby.

I put down everything on the ground save for my clothes, before I sat on the riverbank and began the 'laundry work'.

I soaked my trousers in the water. Sure, without some sort of detergent, there would still be several blotches of light red and brown on it, but this was better than having stains of crimson on its surface.

After that, I wrung it to force water out from the cloth. I didn't feel comfortable working with my injured hand though, but there was no other way. Besides, it was just a moment of discomfort, not something life-threatening.

Then I did the same thing on my coat: soaking it in the water for a moment before wringing it.

Everything was done in five minutes, and now all I had to do was waiting for a moment until they were not too wet anymore.

I put them down on the dry ground and waited. This should be a long, tedious moment.

Hmm, perhaps looking around would kill my boredom. Who knew that there would be some tasty birds or little critters to snack on?

I began scanning the area, and soon, I spotted something interesting. A silhouette of a human-like figure was heading in my direction slowly. As it came closer, the sound of clattering metal grew clearer amidst the roaring water current.

Was that the last member of the Radical Dreamers or somebody else?


End file.
